A Clean Song

[kipple]

There was a young sailor
Who looked through the glass,
And spied a fair mermaid
With scales on her-- island

Where seagulls
Fly over their nests
She combed the long hair
That hung over her-- shoulders

And caused her
To tickle and itch.
The sailor cried out
"There's a beautiful-- mermaid,"

A-sitting out
There on the rocks,
The crew came around
A-grabbing their-- glasses

And crowded four deep
To the rail,
All eager to share
In this fine piece of-- news.

Which the captain soon
Heard from the watch.
He tied down the wheel
And he reached for his-- crackers

And cheese which
He kept near the door.
In case he might someday
Encounter a-- mermaid.

He knew he must
Use all his wits
Crying "Throw out a line.
We'll lasso her-- flippers."

And then we will
Certainly find
If mermaids are better
Before or be-- brave

My good fellows."
The captain then said.
"With fortune we'll break
Through her mermaiden-- head-

-ing to starboard
They tacked with dispatch.
And caught that fair mermaid
Just under her-- elbows

And hustled her
Down below decks,
And each took a turn
At her feminine-- setting

Her free at the end
Of the farce,
She splashed in the waves,
Falling flat on her-- after

A while one man
Noticed some-- scabs,
Soon they broke out with the pox
And the scratching

With fury,
Cursing with spleen,
This song may be dull
But it's certainly clean.